INDIANAPOLIS – Plymouth’s Alaina Clady was one of 13 senior student-athletes to earn a Eugene Cato Memorial Scholarships from the IHSAA.

The well-rounded, positive role models have demonstrated excellence in academics, school and community involvement, character, sportsmanship and citizenship. Each individual will receive a $2,500 scholarship for their prep accomplishments. The upcoming awards dinner was recently postponed due to current events and will be rescheduled for a later date to be announced.

This year’s 2020 IHSAA / C. Eugene Cato Memorial Scholarship Award recipients are:

Shamiya Beasley, Merrillville
Alaina Clady, Plymouth
Mykayla Couchenour, South Knox
Rylee Johnson, Shenandoah
Logan Owens, Henryville
Mike Perkins, Prairie Heights
Kinsey Price, Rising Sun
Turner Royal, Bloomfield
Cooper Rusch, New Castle
Kenzee Smith, Decatur Central
Savannah Strieter, Evansville North
Abigail Teipen, South Putnam
Hannah Tippets, Brownsburg

Clady has earned 10 varsity letters while showcasing a 4.07 GPA and a class ranking of nine out of 234. She is a four-year letter winner in volleyball and basketball, and a two-year letter winner in tennis. Clady was also the team captain for both her basketball and volleyball teams. Outside of athletics, Clady holds numerous leadership positions including being named a class officer and the treasurer of the Interact Club and Business Professionals of America.

She is an active member in and out of her community, taking a mission’s trip to the Dominican Republic and volunteering with the Special Olympics, Autism Awareness Carnival, and Dance Marathon. Clady is undecided on where she will attend college but is choosing between Indiana University, Purdue University, and Indiana State University.

Each student completed and submitted a formal application and had to meet certain criteria to qualify including: 1) be enrolled and participating in interscholastic athletics at an IHSAA member school during this school year; 2) be a senior at an IHSAA member school who will graduate this school year; 3) win a varsity letter as an athlete in at least one of the 22 IHSAA-sanctioned athletic programs; 4) be nominated by the school’s principal; 5) carry a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale or the equivalent; 6) have no violations of the school’s athletic code of conduct; 7) The student must not have been ejected from any IHSAA contest due to unsportsmanlike behavior; 8) The student must verify that he/she has made a commitment to remain substance-free throughout high school.

Nearly 100 completed applications were received from across the state and a blue ribbon panel of six individuals decided upon the final recipients.

The scholarship program is named in tribute to the late Commissioner C. Eugene Cato who led the IHSAA from 1983-95 and served as assistant commissioner from 1976-83. “Gene’s” passion for athletics and his belief in the intrinsic value of athletic competition on the formation of a child’s character enabled Gene to positively impact generations of young men and women with his well-known “Firm, Fair, and Friendly” approach to caring for others. He passed away in 2008.

Since 2003-04, the IHSAA has recognized 204 outstanding student-athletes with scholarships totaling $510,000.